Basic American Foods supports Chefs of Tomorrow at Washburne

On May 23 during the 2010 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago, Washburne Culinary Institute hosted a gala dinner for select guests sponsored by Basic American Foods (BAF). The dinner, created by culinary arts students under the leadership of provost William N. Reynolds, was held at the Parrot Cage Restaurant at Washburne's South Shore Cultural Center.

At the end of the evening, Loren Kimura, president and CEO of Basic American Foods, presented Reynolds with a Chefs of Tomorrow grant of $1,500 to support Washburne faculty in improving their knowledge of the latest menu and service trends. The evening was capped by a presentation of the Chefs of Tomorrow grant, an award recognizing excellence in culinary-arts students and culinary educators nationwide.

(l to r) Basic American Foods' CEO and president Loren Kimura presents Washburne provost William Reynolds with a Chefs of Tomorrow grant

"The culinary arts program at Washburne Culinary Institute is honored to receive this generous contribution by Basic American Foods, a brand that is highly respected among chefs nationwide," said Reynolds in a statement. "This donation will assist our outstanding instructional team as it trains valuable, skilled graduates for the foodservice industry."

Chefs of Tomorrow was founded by Chicago-based Olson Communications in 2008 to fund grants for high school and postsecondary culinary educators.